NPR Death Threats

NPR Death Threats

MARCH 16--A Maine man has been jailed on federal charges that he threatened to kill or harm two of the hosts of “All Things Considered,” the popular National Public Radio news program, The Smoking Gun has learned.

The defendant in custody, John Crosby, was arrested in late-January by FBI agents and named last month in a three-count felony indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Portland. The case against Crosby, 38, has not been publicized by the Department of Justice, nor has it been reported by NPR.

Crosby, whose rap sheet includes separate convictions for robbery and heroin possession, has been held without bail since his January 26 arrest inside a library at the University of Southern Maine, from which he graduated in 2009. During a search of Crosby’s Volvo station wagon following his bust, FBI agents found a shotgun and shells in the vehicle, according to court records.

Crosby, who graduated with a degree in electrical engineering, is pictured above in a United States Marshals Service mug shot taken after his January arrest.

In a filing yesterday, federal prosecutors opposed Crosby’s motion for a temporary release from custody so that he can attend a memorial service for his father. Government lawyers cited Crosby’s “history of violence” and noted that threatening communications he has been charged with sending “indicate that the defendant may suffer from psychiatric problems.”

According to an affidavit sworn by FBI Agent Nathan Jacobs, Crosby sent more than 20 bizarre, and often threatening, messages to NPR via a “Contact Us” form on the organization’s web site. Many of the messages--which were sent during a two-month period ending with Crosby’s arrest--“referenced ‘kikes’ and contained other generalized threats directed toward NPR,” Jacobs noted.

But it was a January 17 message that prompted NPR officials to contact federal investigators. In that communication, Crosby allegedly threatened to kill “All Things Considered” host Melissa Block, whom he described as “an annoying <unt who is helping to destroy me to use me as a human sacrifice. She will be raped, beaten, tortured, and murdered very soon.” Agents traced the threat to an IP associated with a Starbucks location on Congress Street in Portland.

In a January 23 communication sent via the NPR web site, Crosby referred to Guy Raz, the weekend host of “All Things Considered.” The message--purportedly from someone with the e-mail address killguyraz@killallkikes.com--stated that, “I will remind Mr. Raz that 100 years ago a kike like him would have been hanging from a tree for disrespecting my privacy like that.” Crosby then allegedly added, “If I can make it to DC, I will try to find the kike and take care of business.”

Referring to the messages directed at Block and Raz (who are pictured above), Crosby’s indictment charges him with two counts of “transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce.” The third charge accuses him of unlawful possession of a firearm.

FBI agents traced many of the NPR threats to IP addresses associated with the University of Southern Maine. Records maintained by the school indicated that the computer used in late-January to send 12 of the communications to NPR “was registered on USM’s network” by Crosby.

After the FBI arrested Crosby and seized his laptop, Agent Christopher Peavey asked him “if he knew why we were there,” Jacobs reported. “Crosby responded, ‘I have been trying to get your attention for a while.” The suspect subsequently asked another agent “whether they had read all of the e-mails he had been sending,” Jacobs noted. (9 pages)

Comments (87)

Anytime I just cannot sleep I listen to NPR and wouldn't ya know, immediately I am off to see the sand man! They are good for those times when we all wonder why the heck we made the mistake of voting for Obama. After listening to NPR I am refreshed because no matter how badly Obama screws up the country NPR makes him out to be not such a schlub President. Amazing how that works, isn't it? How do they get all those Prius's in that parking lot at NPR the with Obama/Biden 2008 bumper stickers? Am I bringing up too many stereotypes here?

Does anyone actually listen to "All things considered"? They remind me of some weird skit that saturday night live would spoof with the soft voiced ultra liberal types talking about global warming or the latest starbucks trend. The accused May have actually been one of the few listeners! He DID drive a Volvo Stationwagon after all. I guess this means that their listens were cut in half by this arrest. Now there is only the one suburban housewife that Intentionally tunes in.

To all you wingnuts out there claiming that John is a lefty or a righty I can tell you this. I worked beside him for about 6 months I don't think he ever stated a particular ideology. He is certainly different by my guess is that he is just ill and found someone to hate and it may have gone either way, I would not be surprised to hear that John had made similar threats against any other national talk personality, right or left. It is a shame that it came to this for this poor soul. I am pretty sure he didn't choose to be mentally ill. There but for grace could be any one of us.

As someone who has known john for 20 + years ,Im very sad and dismayed to see this madness going on around him.. I believe john has some psych disorders ,yes, but he is also extremely intelligent, and I know personally that he would do ANYTHING to help a friend. It is just plain awful to see him in this situation. I will stand behind him in support to my good friend in hopes he may get well and stable (both mentally and physically)..

You do realize that just because there has not been an arrest, that doesn't mean there hasn't been an investigation. Right? Do you naively believe that every investigation leads to an arrest? How else would you come to such a silly conclusion? BTW, out of curiosity - how old are you?

Amazing...! most of these posts are by conservative/teabag/zombie/morons
defending an insane killer... who looks to be a combination of Tim McVeigh and Jared Laughner... I can't wait to get off the smoking gun!!!

Guess you forgot to read them carefully. Everyone pretty much agrees this guy broke the law and should do JAIL time for it. But I read these posts to say, what about the conservatives that are confronted with death threats from the Government Employee Unions in Wisconsin? What a shame that the FBI overlooks this and does not investigate those death threats. A woman threatens a politician with castration over Planned Parenthood funding and she gets a visit from the FBI, And in contrast, it appears to me that the FBI wants no part of the Union death threat makers and will sit on their hands and do nothing. So, I see the point as equal protection for the same crime. Cheers.

"It may appear to [you]" that "the FBI wants no part of the Union death threat makers and will sit on their hands and do nothing", but you apparently don't work there, so you really don't know what they are doing or not doing. Do you? Again, some folks illogically try to parlay total ignorance of a subject as if it somehow supports a purely speculative claim they are making.

Let me see if I have this right:
1) a single;
2) obviously deranged man;
3) makes ludicrous threats;
4) which he clearly has no hope of carrying out;
5) against private citizens;
6) for private reasons;
7) and has been in jail for weeks on federal charges;
8) and SG thinks it's important enough to file a breathless breaking news story.
And yet:
1) a very large, well-funded & confrontational group of unions;
2) which has a history of intimidation and violence & has carried out violence in this strike;
3) has made a score of apparently coordinated death threats;
4) which on their face and from the unions' histories are viable;
5) against some 20 elected state officials;
6) because of carrying out the sworn duties of their offices;
7) about which there is so far merely a pro forma investigation;
8) and about which SG isn't interested enough to file a single bulletin or item.
Yeah, I think I understand SG's sense of relevance, scale and importance.

Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Gov. Walker, Gov Jan Brewer, Sarah Palin, George Bush, ALL of the Republicans in Wisconsin, ALL get death threats on nearly a daily basis and NOTHING is done, nothing is said, no front page news stories. and someone from the NPR gets a threat and the earth must stop rotating....WTF!!!

Gee, Glen Beck gets death threats DAILY and the FBI does nothing! Guess you have to work for the government media complex to get that kind of protection huh? If Nationalist Propaganda Radio was so successful, why do they need our tax dollars to fund them? If it's a crazy liberal that kills a politician and a judge, the story gets buried. If it's a crazy right winger who makes veiled threats, he gets arrested and we hear about it for months. Front page of every liberal rag, blog, move on.org garbage. All the Soros funded media outlets. Then obama's goons pass more laws against our freedoms. Now, this guy was a nut job for sure, but the hypocrisy is getting more and more apparent. Thats why NPR rating are in the tank.

"we hear about it for months. Front page of every liberal rag, blog, move on.org garbage. All the Soros funded media outlets."
Hey, Einstein --
You do realize that this is "The Smoking Gun," right?
You do realize that The Smoking Gun publishes the stuff that doesn't make the front pages of the mass media, right?
You know that part where you reichwingers and teatards get all bent outta shape when the entire rest of the world -- all the "liberals" and the "moderates" and the "center-right" mainstream conservatives (the ones you call traitors and "RINOs") -- looks down on you and laughs and and calls you stupid?
That's this part right here.

Ok, obviously this tweedle is a few bricks shy of a load, but where are all the mug-shots of the union apes who threatened the same and more in Wisconsin? I hear lot's of duplicity trying to pass itself off as reporting these days, and the great thing is, the people pushing the (liberal) excrement still haven't figured out that THE ENTIRE country is watching now. No more whistling in the dark. We know what's going on now:)

Well stated Randy, these liberals are toast in the 2012 election and for exactly the reason you mention. So I quoted you..!
********************************************************************************************
"the (liberal) excrement still haven't figured out that THE ENTIRE country is watching now. No more whistling in the dark. We know what's going on now:)"
********************************************************************************************
Cheers.

Well, that is really more LIBERAL hypocrisy.. Which is quite Correct.! And all you liberals know that the conservatives are taking over, so you get to sit in it and wait for another flash-in-the-pan President like Obama. Can't wait for you Liberal nuts to have to watch another 8-16 years of Republican Conservative control of our Government. Hope you guys enjoy your down time. Cheers.

I guess it would be pointless to note that both this guy and the Arizona shooter are both clearly mentally ill and their actions aren't influenced by their political views, right- or left-wing so much as by their sickness. Oh well, I guess it's more fun to make comments accuse Obama, Glenn Beck, Fox News and the "libruls", huh? No wonder the state of politics is so screwed up, if the average voter is as thick as the average forum poster.

I am continually amazed by the depth of liberal ignorance. You beady eyed little trolls really do race around frantically attacking all who MIGHT appear to be what your precious MSNBC "news" channel has programmed you to believe are "cunservutivs". Wipe off your koolaid mustache, and run along while the adults discuss how to handle your latest gun-toting, violent cousin in Portland. And BTW, there's a LOT more liberal nutjobs in Portland driving volvos to starbucks than there are racist violent gun owning conservatives, so until you can think without your head up your ass, just STFU. :) (but, please, do rant on...its entertaining to watch true ignorance at work)

Talk about the "depth of liberal ignorance". What about suggesting this guy is a not a conservative based on the insipid stereotype of driving a Volvo and going to Starbucks? That must be the hight of conservative brilliance we have so come to expect these days I suppose.

It seems, from the comments I've read here, that Americans have entered an age of pure hate for each other. There is no middle ground; it's either Democrat or Republican; liberal or conservative, black or white. Without some sort of co-operation and constructive compromises, you all lose.

Welcome to the run up to the 2012 election. Pick a side and VOTE..! No one is telling anyone to stop sharing their opinion. And this is not hate, this is you not understanding that people are passionate on both sides of the issue. This guy definitely has to go to JAIL..! But the rest of us get the opportunity to hear differing opinions and offer our own. You can call it black and white all you like, it does not change the fact that the election is coming and people are going to have to make a "black or white" decision. You should appreciate the exchange of opinions and keep the hate comments to yourself.

Well, I'm not the one making the hate comments. My comment was not even about the article written here (of course he has to go to jail). I was just making the observation that there is no discussion here, no exchange of opinions to appreciate. Its just a bunch of people spouting off their own rather extreme views. I guess it makes people feel better to just shout out how they are feeling but it doesn't solve anything.

Funny, I find giving my opinion does get something done. And I do not care why you do not like it. Maybe with an outlet for our feelings, concerns and fears, less criminal action will be taken (like this guy). My opinion may not help you but it helps me to understand the other side and to make sure I do everything I can to get them out of the White House. See you in 2012 election for a new President.

There is no other side. I don't know if you've noticed, but things were completely f***ed up under the leadership of the Republicans and George W. Bush. Things are still completely f***ed up under the leadership of the Democrats and Barrack Obama. No matter who is ostensibly in office, the U.S. government gets its marching orders from a higher power. And I don't mean some invisible sky wizard. Corporations are bigger and more powerful than governments; they make their own rules and they make sure you follow them.

I love how right wing everyone is here, its crazy. I personally am from Canada and am fairly liberal, so I know you guys will attack me, but its true, the two party system in the U.S does not work, try something more like ours. Plus I have no *** idea why you guys think universal healthcare is "communism" (atleast most right-wingers in the U.S do). Universal healthcare is FAR from communism, you obviously don't understand political philosophies if you believe that just because Obama wants universal health care he is a commie.

I am continually amazed by the depth of conservative ignorance. You beady eyed little trolls really do race around frantically attacking all who MIGHT appear to be what your precious Fox "news" channel has programmed you to believe are "libruls". Wipe off your koolaid mustache, and run along while the adults discuss how to handle your latest gun-toting, violent cousin in Portland.
And BTW, there's a LOT more conservative nutjobs in Portland driving volvos to starbucks than there are racist violent gun owning liberals, so until you can think without your head up your ass, just STFU. :) (but, please, do rant on...its entertaining to watch true ignorance at work)

Your blithering is on display for all to see too. Too bad you decided to use such grammar-school crappy language, but we have come to understand you liberal liars. Make something/anything up to fit the situation and then pound away at it. You expose all liberals for their short attention span and lack of a backbone. Make up all the stuff you want, and then pay the price in the 2012 election, you have no chance of winning with Obama. He has limited himself to one term.

no wonder npr and obama media did not report the story - cuz it looks like another liberal gone off the rails ............ first it was the liberals - loughner/bishop/drake and now its liberal loon - crosby

MagnumXL: "...Another Glenn Beck fan takes to active terrorism! Shocking! He's pro-gun, anti-NPR, anti-Jew, and pro-drugs. In other words, he's a classic right-wing libertarian. Conservatism = Terrorism..."
wow. so now i know that if somebody is anti-semetic, that they must be a conservative, according to MagnumXL. and that if somebody is 'pro-drugs' that they must be a conservative, according to this person.
i'm not a profiler... there's danger in going by stereotypes, as they are often proven to be wrong. But in this case we've got a white man who listens to NPR, drives a Volvo, and was sending threatening emails from a Starbucks in Portland... is anybody else here feeling like this might be a 'lefty'?
don't think that just because the threats were against the same people he listened to on the radio, that he has a totally opposing viewpoint. Many people on the extreme left are upset at more moderate liberals because they aren't liberal enough. That would be my guess here.
Just look at the Gabby Giffords situation. Giffords is known as a 'blue dog'...a more moderate Democrat. The week before she was shot, the Daily Kos (a liberal blog website) had an article up that was very critical of Giffords because Giffords had just voted AGAINST House Speaker Pelosi on a bill. The writer of the blog on Daily Kos wrote that "Giffords is DEAD to me now". this was actually still up on the website the day Giffords was shot, but then scrubbed off the site by Kos.
point being, the liberal blogger was that upset with another Democrat that he would say something like that. Just like it wouldn't be surprising that the guy here is an extreme leftist.
and that brings me back to MagnumXL. this is obviously a person who is unstable...and who has the ability to look at a blue sky and make herself BELIEVE that it's grey. lot's of crazies out there.

MagnumXL said:
"Another Glenn Beck fan takes to active terrorism! Shocking! He's pro-gun, anti-NPR, anti-Jew, and pro-drugs. In other words, he's a classic right-wing libertarian. Conservatism = Terrorism. Fact. Faux News will no doubt hire him to be Glenn Beck's rodeo clown sidekick and he'll be a keynote Speaker at the next GOP convention."
Want to discuss all the death threats from the union (organized crime) thugs against Republican Congressmen in WI. Why no arrest there? Guess that is OK in your little wet-pantie liberal eyes, right?

The guy is likely another angry liberal... He is probably angry that NPR is too conservative. He hangs out at the U of Maine, drives a Volvo, and cares about what they say on NPR. Doesn't sound like a right winger to me.
In order to listen to All things Considered", a Conservative would be skipping either Hannity or Levin... Not a likely scenario.

I read the comments in this kind of thread... and see the usual idiot mischaracterizations-as-insult posted.
The people who post this stuff may be less dangerous than this guy..( for the moment).. but they are definitely a good deal "more mental".
We really have to doubt in a big way that this guy is any more than a ranter using colorful language.
The thought-and-speech police are way way way too busy trying to sterilize all public discourse to the point where the only acceptable comment is a blank page.

And just to put a lid on it. I have re-submitted Herman Delatrio's SCORECARD... But come on namseer, you can muster some sort of defense, can't you..? Read on.....
The scorecard sofar.
1.Government: the sovereign debt out of control in US and Europe. We are enjoying a record deficit in the USA. We have not seen the real number of the individual states yet (we do not want to).
2.Financial system: The large banks are still doing what they want, paying random bonuses in a too big to fail dream world. The bail-out money was welcome.
3.Jobs: unemployment is really between 14-16% and we are still happily outsourcing jobs to communists. We trust these people for no good reason.
4.Housing :a big foreclosure mess thanks to BOA, no new construction activity and housing prices going down every month.
5.Cost of living: prices of food & gasoline are up, inflation is hitting hard. There is no significant progress on alternative energy, because the large Oil conglomerates have greased the wheels in DC.
6.Foreign policy: Our old wars are still raging in Afghanistan & Iraq, we made the wrong choices in the Middle-East. Ghaddafi can do what he wants as he has everybody in his pocket.
7. Wall-Street: Put a little bit of disinformation sauce on top and you have a confused universe. Investors being taken to the cleaners. Bankers making fees on buying & selling, as usual.
Good stuff and Cheers from me.

Another Glenn Beck fan takes to active terrorism! Shocking! He's pro-gun, anti-NPR, anti-Jew, and pro-drugs. In other words, he's a classic right-wing libertarian.
Conservatism = Terrorism.
Fact.
Faux News will no doubt hire him to be Glenn Beck's rodeo clown sidekick and he'll be a keynote Speaker at the next GOP convention.